Directed By David Michôd
Starring James Frecheville, Jacki Weaver, Ben Mendelsohn, Guy Pearce, Sullivan Stapleton and Joel Edgerton
From Goodfellas to The Wire and everything between, the sprawling crime drama has seemingly been strip-mined for all the originality and entertainment value that it has to offer. Which makes it all the more surprising when films like Animal Kingdom come along and breathe new life into the genre, proving that phenomenal acting and sharp, confident direction can work wonders in polishing the familiar, well-worn components of a coming-of-age gangster movie into a taut, thrilling and often chilling crime movie.
When his mother drops dead of an overdose, 17-year-old Joshua “J” Cody (James Frecheville) is left lost and alone. With nobody else to turn to, he heads to stay with his grandmother Janine (Jacki Weaver) and her sons – a branch of his family that his mother has strictly and fearfully kept him away from. As he settles into his new home, it quickly becomes clear why his mother cut contact from them as J realises his uncles are major lynch-pins in Australia’s working class criminal community: His uncle Pope (Ben Mendelsohn) is on the run from murderous cops following a batch of armed robberies; imposing, coked-up Craig (Sullivan Stapleton) is growing increasingly volatile, but making a mint in the drug game; Pope’s business partner and surrogate brother Baz (Joel Edgerton) sees a wider future for himself outside of crime, while youngest sibling Darren (Luke Ford) lacks both the cold-heartedness to succeed in the family business and the smarts to leave it.
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When one of their crew is gunned down by the police, J’s vicious and calculating uncle Pope plots the murder of two night-duty police officers in retaliation, sparking a minor war between the criminal Cody clan and the cops. All the while, J finds himself dragged further into an inescapable life that seems increasingly doomed by the day as the cops quickly close in.
As well as the distinct Australian stamp that writer/director David Michôd puts on the gangster movie, focusing on small-city Aussie suburbs and the working class criminals who populate them, Animal Kingdom succeeds greatly by being such a phenomenal acting showcase. Australian’s latest, greatest export Joel Edgerton continues to be effortlessly great, providing the closest that the Cody family has to a warm, fatherly moral figure. Guy Pearce is predictably excellent as the doggedly persistent cop on the family’s tail. Ben Mendelsohn delivers an entirely chilling performance as Pope; as a quieter, more calculating and frightening equivalent to Joe Pesci in Goodfellas, he’s entirely unpredictable, and every moment he’s on-screen there’s a pervasive sense of tense dread, made all the more unbearable as Michôd lets the camera linger on him.
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Deservedly courting Oscar and award nominations left, right and centre for her performance, Jacki Weaver excels as the maternal head of the family, whose (slightly unsettling and incestuous) motherly warmth hides layers of cold-blooded, Machiavellian scheming. While the entire cast is astounding, newcomer James Frecheville lacks the refined acting experience that his fellow cast members do, but his inexperience works wonders. His performance carries a natural teenage awkwardness that feels realistic and works perfectly for the character, making him feel even more like a kid caught far out of his depth and deserving of our sympathy.
Michôd isn’t interested in a ‘rise and fall’ crime saga, dropping us into the clan as their downfall is already underway, and largely shies away from the criminal violence of the Codys (we never actually see their robberies take place) in favour of exploring the psychological friction throughout the family. But when violence does erupt, it’s either sudden, unexpected and shocking or utterly chilling. Michôd directs with quiet style, but is smart enough not to try swamping the film with flashy camerawork and let the drama unfold unfettered as the cast delivers astounding work.
A stark, stunning and intensely gripping crime drama, Animal Kingdom proves there’s plenty of life still left in the gangster movie and is essential viewing for fans of the genre.
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A surprisingly candid commentary by a cast who make no secrets of their hatred for audio commentaries and talking about their work (Michôd immediately mentions that one of the producers walked out just before recording started). It doesn’t translate to an especially enlightening track, but it’s a refreshing change from the usual incessant self-congratulation that usually fills commentaries.
Michôd is more focused when recording this solo track, which is a little more informative, if a tad too dry.
Clocking in at over an hour, this candid documentary charts Michôd’s lengthy journey in getting the film from conception to completion, with an informative, entertaining and extensive look behind the scenes.
David Michôd, Guy Pearce, Ben Mendelsohn, Joel Edgerton, Jacki Weaver, James Frecheville, Laura Wheelwright, Sullivan Stapleton and Luke Ford all provide interviews, but nothing that isn’t seen in the larger documentary.
The Film:
The Blu-ray:
Animal Kingdom is out on Blu-ray and DVD in the UK now.
Click here to order the Blu-ray from Amazon.co.uk.
(Note: The images above were captured and saved at a reduced quality, and though they give an idea of how the film looks, they aren’t intended to reflect the true quality of the Blu-ray image itself.)